Now, for some positive news (after we moved away). Needs an electrical outlet for guerilla charging. http://www.oc-breeze.com/2017/10/30/111 ... reek-park/
The City of Los Alamitos announces the installation of a new “Dero Fixit Service Station and Air Pump” located in Coyote Creek Park, adjacent to the bike trail. The commercial grade bike repair and air kit station will afford cyclists the opportunity to perform repairs and maintenance. The Fixit includes all the tools necessary to perform basic bike repairs, from changing a flat to adjusting brakes and derailleurs. With the ability to hang the bike from the hanger arms, the pedals and wheels can spin freely while making adjustments. The Air Kit bike pump allows cyclists to fill a replacement tire or top off their tires so they can continue their ride.
The bike trail adjacent to Coyote Creek Park is just off of the Coyote Creek Channel extending from Katella (south of the 605) to Ball Road. Its reconstruction was completed in the summer and provides regional connectivity and recreational opportunities for biking, jogging, and walking separated from motor vehicles. Some students also use the trail to get to school.
The City thanks Tri-Zone for sponsoring the Bike Station. Tri-Zone, located at 3380 Cerritos Ave. in Los Alamitos, is a swim, bike, and run shop featuring road and triathlon bikes, wetsuits, nutrition, and a huge selection of triathlon gear.
For more information on parks, facilities, events, and programs offered by the City of Los Alamitos, please visitwww.cityoflosalamitos.org.
This article was released by the City of Los Alamitos

http://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/arti ... 320551.php
Man on bike shot in the face at San Jose light rail station
Bay City News Service
Published 11:01 am, Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Media: Ted Andersen, SFGATE
SAN JOSE (BCN)
A man was shot in the face at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light-rail station in San Jose early this morning, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's deputies received a call shortly after 1:15 a.m. about a man who was conscious with a facial injury at the Capitol VTA station at 600 W. Capitol Expressway.
The man told medical personnel that he was struck by a projectile while riding his bike, sheriff's officials said.
Police say a man was shot in the face at a San Jose light rail station.
He was taken to a hospital where a medical evaluation revealed he was the victim of a gunshot wound, at which point the Sheriff's Office Transit Patrol was notified, sheriff's officials said.
The VTA has shut down light-rail service at the Capitol station and has bus shuttles taking passengers between the Branham and Capitol stations. Trains are passing through the Capitol station but are not stopping.
No further information about the case was immediately available.

Atlanta has been on a mission to boost its standing on the national urban-cycling scene and spike the city’s safe mobility and public health index. The goal: Become a top 10 cycling city. So, when Atlanta’s Relay Bike Share program exploded in less than a year from 100 to 500 blue cruisers, now positioned at 60 stations around town, it signaled the obvious and highly anticipated: Atlanta, proper, is becoming “bikable.”

From Music Midtown to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and virtually every neighborhood festival, free bike-valet systems have now become the city’s cycle infrastructure.

In June, Atlanta Streets Alive recorded a record attendance of 110,000 people, according to the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Earlier this year, Buckhead’s urban-reclamation PATH400 trail hit an impressive milestone: Half of the multi-use amenity has now been built (that’s 2.5 miles), less than three years since the first segment broke ground.

Mayor Kasim Reed’s investment to interweave bicycle riding into the fabric of Atlanta life has paid off. Several years back, for the first time in the city’s history, the city of Atlanta was named one of the top cities in the country for bicycle riding, according to a major magazine devoted to cycling.

Every two years, Bicycle publication reviews Census and Department of Transportation data for more than 100 cities, consults with bicycle experts and interviews advocates and everyday riders to identify the 50 most bike-friendly cities in the United States. Atlanta ranked number 43 on the list for the first time.

“Atlanta is honored is be recognized as a leading bicycle city in the United States,” said Mayor Reed. “Cycling has become an essential part of Atlanta’s transportation network, and we see this mode increasingly growing in popularity. We will continue to invest in bicycle infrastructure for our residents and visitors to enjoy for generations to come.”

Mayor Reed went on to launch Relay, the city’s bike share program, in June 2016 where currently, 500 bikes are available for rent at 60 stations in heavily-trafficked downtown locations. The City of Atlanta has also invested in more than 30 miles of bike lanes, including four miles of protected and buffered bicycle lanes around Atlanta.

In addition, Mayor Reed named Becky Katz the City’s Chief Bicycle Officer. In her role, Katz supports Atlanta’s efforts to achieve national recognition as a bicycle-friendly community. Her duties also include planning bicycle projects to completion, public outreach, project development and ensuring that the Relay bicycle share program was launched.

“When I first became Chief Bicycle Officer for the City of Atlanta, I was charged with advancing our bicycle initiatives,” said Becky Katz. “I am so proud that the City of Atlanta was named a best bicycle city. This is just the beginning. We will grow our bike share system to 500 bikes by the end of the year, increase the amount of high-quality bike lanes in the city and create a connected bicycle infrastructure network making it safer for riders to get around.”

And any day now, the Beltline should officially unveil three miles of new network (the Westside Trail) as work progresses on the partially open Eastside Trail extension.

A teen boy was killed after he and a girl were both struck by a vehicle while riding their bikes in Long Beach late Thursday afternoon.

The incident was reported at 3:55PM in the area of Woodruff Avenue and Conant Street.

The boy, in his early teens, was transported to a local hospital where he later died. The girl, between 10 to 12 years old, sustained non-life threatening injuries and was hospitalized in stable condition, according to Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) spokesman Sgt. Brad Johnson.

Authorities said the children were riding their bikes east on Conant in the crosswalk when the motorist, traveling west on Conant on a green light, turned south onto Woodruff, striking them both.

The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/longtim ... b0bae.html
John Rous, 78, was struck by a vehicle and killed Tuesday on Old Alfred Harrell Highway.
Felix Adamo / The Californian
The Bakersfield cycling community lost one of its fixtures on Tuesday.
John Rous, 78, was killed at about 10:30 a.m. after a car hit him as he was riding by Old Alfred Harrell Highway, just north of Alfred Harrell Highway, in northeast Bakersfield, according to the Kern County Coroner’s Office.
The driver of a Toyota Scion was heading east on Alfred Harrell Highway when the driver attempted to make a slight left turn and hit Rous as he was heading west, according to the California Highway Patrol. Rous suffered severe injuries from the accident and died at the scene.
Rous was a longtime cyclist and also had participated in about 70 marathons, according to Jim Cowles, who said he had been friends with Rous for more than 40 years. He said they first met when they joined the Bakersfield Track Club.
“He was a wonderful man,” Cowles said. “John was a good friend to lots and lots of people. He was someone who was always there for everybody.”
Cowles said Rous had ridden up to Hart Park from town and was on the way back when the accident happened. Cowles said Rous had biked that route “thousands of times.”
Rous was also involved with several bike-related events and groups. He was the organizer of the Pie Run, an early morning Thanksgiving Day run at Hart Park, during which runners and walkers would bring pie and other desserts to share with one another.
“No one would start until John Rous told them to,” said friend Margaret Patteson. “The Pie Run will never be the same.”
Patteson said she got to know Rous about 20 years ago after they both joined a running group that met several times a week at the Bagels & Blenderz shop on Stockdale Highway.
“We would all do a run and when we came back, we would sit around to have coffee and visit until we all had to go to work or go home,” she said.
Patteson said that as Rous got older, he did less running and more biking. Besides just riding in town, she said Rous had gone on several cross-state bike trips that took several days to complete.
“He was just a great guy, a stellar member of our community,” she said. “He was amazing, and everyone knew him because he was involved in a lot of things.”
Patteson described him as “bigger than life,” a reference to his height of around 6’5” but also in his personality and how much he was a part of the community.
“He had a great sense of humor. He was very generous,” she said. “It’s senseless what happened to him. When I heard about the accident, I was just devastated and sickened. He’s going to be sorely missed.”
Rous leaves behind a wife, three children, several grandchildren and other family.

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/11/17/man-rid ... ernardino/
Man riding motorized bicycle struck, killed in San Bernardino
By BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA | San Bernardino Sun
PUBLISHED: November 17, 2017 at 7:44 am | UPDATED: November 17, 2017 at 7:48 pm
A 24-year-old man was struck and killed by a vehicle as he rode a motorized bicycle through the curves on E Street east of Little Mountain Drive in San Bernardino on Thursday evening.
Around 6 p.m., the man — later identified by San Bernardino County coroner’s officials as Brian Brownstein, of San Bernardino — was riding the bicycle north along E Street approaching the curves where it becomes Kendall Drive when a vehicle driven by a 70-year-old woman traveling in the same direction struck the rider, according to Lt. Mike Madden with the San Bernardino Police Department.
Paramedics took Brownstein to a hospital, where he later died.
The driver of the car stopped and cooperated with police. Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the crash.
San Bernardino police are investigating the crash.

David "Casper" Wright, 58, was killed while riding his bike when he was hit by a driver in a black SUV about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. The driver left the scene of the crash without stopping.

Tina Cortes-Thayer spoke to FOX40 on Thursday morning. She says she has been crying since she found out about Wright's death.

She said she and Wright used to be a couple, but most recently they were best friends.

"He was my best friend, he was everybody’s best friend," she said.

Cortes-Thayer described Wright as selfless, kind and a person who would do anything for his loved ones.

"I could call him and tell him my toothbrush fell and can’t reach it, and he’d be here now, you know, anything. He was just that kind of person with everybody," she said.

She says Wright served in both the Marines and Navy and was deeply religious.

Wright was on the way home from the grocery store when he was killed, Cortes-Thayer told FOX40. She said she lives near the crash site and heard the sound of glass breaking on Tuesday night, but says she had no idea the person who was hit was Wright.

"And it was the windshield that I heard, so I knew there was an accident, and I watched everything from here. I never knew it was my friend that was down there," she said.

According to Cortes-Thayer, Wright was carrying groceries that he was going to use to make her family a Thanksgiving meal.

Cortes-Thayer's daughter, Heather Thayer, says that Wright was like a father to her and like a grandfather to her children.

"Anytime we needed him, everything in our house he provided, every time we struggled he was there," Thayer said.

Thayer found out Wright died hours after the crash when she went to the crash site, saw the grocery bags and recognized his bike.

Cortes-Thayer and her daughter are asking the person responsible to come forward and be held accountable for Wright's death. They also wanted to thank the officer who attempted to revive Wright by performing CPR. They said they find some solace in knowing he did not die alone.

A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money to transport Wright's body to Indiana where his mother and brother live.

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/11/27/fontana ... bicyclist/
Fontana man suspected of running over, killing San Bernardino bicyclist
By BRIAN ROKOS | brokos@scng.com | The Press-Enterprise
PUBLISHED: November 27, 2017 at 10:35 am | UPDATED: November 27, 2017 at 12:32 pm
A Fontana man was arrested on suspicion of murder Saturday, Nov. 25, after San Bernardino police said he ran over a bicyclist with whom he had some sort of connection.
Dominic Deshaun Simmons, 34, was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, where he is being held without bail.
About 6:30 p.m. Saturday, police received reports of a motorist running over a bicyclist in the 1400 block of E. Date Street and then fleeing. Elroy Preston, 52, of San Bernardino, died from his injuries at a hospital hours later, according to a San Bernardino Police Department news release.
Detectives learned that the two men, who had known each other in the past, were at the same residence just before witnesses said a black Dodge Magnum driven by Simmons allegedly ran over Preston, the release said.

On Sunday, an off-duty San Bernardino police officer spotted a vehicle matching the description parked near a gas station in Rialto. The Magnum had front-end and windshield damage, and the officer recognized Simmons. Rialto police then arrested Simmons, according to the release.
Simmons is also facing a misdemeanor theft charge and failed to appear for hearings on being drunk in public, trespassing, and violating parole, according to San Bernardino County Superior Court records. He has convictions for battery on a former spouse, petty theft, burglary and, when he was 21, having unlawful sexual intercourse with a person more than three years younger, records show.
Detectives declined to elaborate on the men’s relationship Monday as they continued to question witnesses. Preston had a criminal record as well.
Police ask that anyone with information on the case call Detective Oldendorf at 909-384-5619 or Sgt. Kokesh at 909-384-5613.

The name of the man has not been released and police did say he was not an Oakland resident.

The fatal collision happened at about 6:15 p.m. Friday at the intersection of West Grand Avenue and West Street. Police said the bicyclist was riding northbound on West Street when he was hit by an unknown model vehicle that was going westbound on West Grand Avenue.

The driver then fled westbound on West Grand. The bicyclist died later at a hospital.

Police said it is not known if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the collision.

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the hit-run driver. Anyone with information can call the police traffic investigation division at 510-777-8570 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.

http://www.pe.com/2017/12/04/bicyclist- ... -with-van/
By GAIL WESSON | The Press-Enterprise
December 4, 2017 at 6:48 pm
A 43-year-old male bicyclist suffered head injuries Sunday evening, Dec. 3, and died later at a hospital after colliding with a van on Washington Avenue, Murrieta police reported.
The victim and the driver of a white Pontiac van were going north on Washington between Lemon Street and Davenport Way when the 5:57 p.m. collision occurred. Police are investigating the cause. The male van driver was not injured.
The bicyclist was taken to Inland Valley Hospital in Wildomar, where he died. His name is being withheld until his family is notified.
Washington was closed for about four hours during the investigation, police department tweets show.
Murrieta police ask anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact traffic investigator Jennifer Metoyer, 951-461-6375.

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/12/07/ ... n-oakland/
East Bay Times
Man killed when hit by car in Oakland
By HARRY HARRIS | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: December 7, 2017 at 8:30 am | UPDATED: December 7, 2017 at 10:17 am
OAKLAND — A man who was getting on his bicycle died Wednesday night in Chinatown after he was hit by a car and knocked more than 150 feet, police said Thursday.
The name of the man, a 32-year-old San Leandro resident, was not released pending notification of family.
Police did not release the name of the driver, a 29-year-old Hayward man. Police said he stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators and was released pending further investigation.
The fatal collision happened at the intersection of Seventh and Harrison streets about 10:53 p.m. Wednesday.
Police said the victim was about to get on his bicycle when he was hit by a Dodge Charger headed northbound on Harrison Street after coming out of the Posey Tube. Witnesses said the car was speeding, police said.
The impact caused the 32-year-old man to become briefly airborne and he hit some parked vehicles before ending up at the intersection of Eighth and Harrison streets, some 160 feet from where he was hit, authorities said. He died at the scene.
The Charger struck a parked vehicle before the driver stopped in the 900 block of Harrison Street and waited for police, authorities said.
Harrison Street between Seventh and Ninth streets was closed for several hours while police investigated.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed what happened to call traffic investigators at 510-777-8570.

Recently, the League of American Bicyclists announced 65 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) for 2017, making the total 430 BFCs in all 50 states.

The Bicycle Friendly Community program aims to provide a roadmap to improving conditions for cycling and guidance to make bikeable communities a reality. The program identifies 10 Building Blocks that make communities great for cycling, including bike lanes, bicycle education in schools, bicycle advocacy groups, bicycle-friendly laws and community bike events. A full list and description of metrics can be found here.

The BFC is one of several Bicycle Friendly America programs run by the League of American Bicyclists. Others include the Bicycle Friendly State, Business, and University programs.

The Bicycle Friendly Community program started in 1995.

“One of the most amazing things about the Bicycle Friendly Community program is how diverse participating communities are,” said Ken McLeod, Policy Director of the League of American Bicyclists. “This round is a great example of that, with towns as small as 588 people and counties of over 2 million. There are places with no bike lanes, but emerging bike cultures, as well as leading Platinum cities. That all of these communities find value in the program speaks to the breadth of the program and its commitment to being a part of creating a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.”

As the League’s press release states:

Renewing Platinum BFCs include Portland, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado. One of the aspects that made Portland’s application stand out is its bike commuter benefit program. City employees are eligible for the TRIP program, which pays benefits-eligible employees who walk, bike, or carpool $50 per month for doing so or pays $50 of a discounted monthly transit pass.” Portland has high goals for continuing to grow their biking profile, with an “adopted city policy that calls for 25 percent of all commute trips to be by bike by 2035.”

Several communities were notable for their dedication to enforcing and providing education about their safe passing laws. Renewing Bronze BFC, Portage, Mississippi, has passed an ordinance requiring motor vehicle drivers to give a five-foot buffer when passing cyclists. Bath, Maine, also a renewing Bronze BFC, has taken extra steps to encourage motorists to follow Maine’s 3-foot passing law. Local police and the county sheriff’s department have worked together with the City of Bath Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee to create a motorist education program around the law. The sheriff and the police chief were awarded a “Just Do It” commendation by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine for the support they have shown bicyclists.

Renewing Bronze BFC, Boca Raton, Florida, is committed to “providing more opportunities for education and outreach to younger riders.” The city has offered a three-week bicycle education program that includes off-bike (pedestrian safety) and on-bike (bicycle riding skills) components. Two out of five of the Boca Raton elementary schools received bike education last year. The other three will receive education within the next few years.

Renewing Silver BFC, Bellingham, Washington, developed a Bicycle Master Plan that created a 170-mile Primary Bicycle Network with “185 individual project recommendations ranging from bike boulevards to buffered bike lanes to cycle tracks on a prioritized list.” The city “strives to provide safe and comfortable bicycle facilities for those ‘interested, but concerned’ about biking on streets with vehicle traffic, but we are also focused on maximizing the connectivity of bicycle facilities throughout the city.”

Renewing Bronze BFC, Northampton, Massachusetts, stood out for the quality of their Complete Streets ordinance. The city also uses “a bicycle trash hauling service to pick up trash in our downtown, both because of the benefits of quiet trash pickup and to promote bicycling.”

New Bronze BFC Ypsilanti, Mississippi, doesn’t stop their encouragement efforts in the winter: “Cold weather bicycling classes are held every November and December at the local library to encourage bicycling all year.” When the city’s only bicycle shop closed, “cyclists banded together to form a volunteer bike repair co-op with regular hours.”

With the announcement of new and renewed BFC awards, over 85 million Americans now live in a League-designated Bicycle Friendly Community. The next opportunity for communities to apply for the BFC award is in February 2018. To apply or learn more about the BFC program, visitbikeleague.org/community.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/art ... 07419.html
DUI suspected in hit-and-run death of Fresno bicyclist
BY ASHLEIGH PANOO
DECEMBER 09, 2017 05:54 PM
A bicyclist was killed in central Fresno early Saturday after he was hit by an alleged drunk driver, police said.
James Raby, 58, was riding north in the bike lane on Weber Avenue near Clinton Avenue at 3:08 a.m. when Jose Hernandez, 22, of Fresno, allegedly ran into him from behind.
The car drove away, police said, but minutes later patrol officers near Ashlan and Blythe avenues stopped a vehicle they saw was traveling on a rim with no tire.
Damage to the car was connected to the crash involving the bicyclist and Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run, DUI and vehicular manslaughter.
Raby was one of five people killed in vehicle-related incidents in a 24-hour period in Fresno.
In 2016, the city reported 33 collision-related deaths. So far this year, there have been 48 as the result of 45 collisions.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/art ... 07419.html
DUI suspected in hit-and-run death of Fresno bicyclist
BY ASHLEIGH PANOO
DECEMBER 09, 2017 05:54 PM
A bicyclist was killed in central Fresno early Saturday after he was hit by an alleged drunk driver, police said.
James Raby, 58, was riding north in the bike lane on Weber Avenue near Clinton Avenue at 3:08 a.m. when Jose Hernandez, 22, of Fresno, allegedly ran into him from behind.
The car drove away, police said, but minutes later patrol officers near Ashlan and Blythe avenues stopped a vehicle they saw was traveling on a rim with no tire.
Damage to the car was connected to the crash involving the bicyclist and Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run, DUI and vehicular manslaughter.
Raby was one of five people killed in vehicle-related incidents in a 24-hour period in Fresno.
In 2016, the city reported 33 collision-related deaths. So far this year, there have been 48 as the result of 45 collisions.

I live in this area, and let me tell you... Fresno is one the least bike friendly cities in America. I can only count about 3 streets with bike lanes off the top of my head right now. Narrow roads, tons of drunk drivers, inadequate lighting, etc. It's very scary.

On the other hand, there is an advantage. Motorcycle culture is huge here and runs within the police department as well. I have yet to have any negative police encounters with my high power (and illegal) ebike. They all love it.

By WES WOODS II | Daily News
PUBLISHED: December 28, 2017 at 6:05 pm | UPDATED: December 29, 2017 at 8:22 am
A Woodland Hills man died and another person was injured after both were struck by an SUV Wednesday night while bicycling in the Lake Balboa area, authorities said.
Matthew Dale Barnett, 48, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. in the 7100 block of Hayvenhurst Avenue, said Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
The crash was reported at 7:15 p.m. in the area of Hayvenhurst and Sherman Way, the Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic Division said.
Around 6:30 p.m., the two bicyclists were traveling north on Hayvenhurst, south of Sherman Way, when a late-model, gray SUV drove northbound and collided with them, authorities said.
The second cyclist was transported to Northridge hospital, where the second cyclist was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
A spokesperson at Valley Traffic Division said the crash was not a hit-and-run and no one was arrested afterward.
It was unclear if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash, the spokesperson added.
If anyone has information on the crash, they are asked to contact LAPD Detective Bill Bustos at 818-644-8021.

701800004
On Monday, 01/01/18, at 1:05AM, emergency dispatchers received 911 calls regarding a bicyclist struck by a vehicle that fled the scene on the 3600 block of N. Cajon Blvd, in Muscoy. The bicyclist was confirmed dead on scene at 1:23AM by paramedics. California Highway Patrol - San Bernardino is investigating the circumstances of the collision. The name of the deceased is withheld pending notification of legal next-of-kin. [01012018 1105 SC]

Officials with the Pima County Sheriff's Department responded to TMC this morning for a report of a shooting.

According to the cyclist, he was riding along Catalina Highway when he says three men driving by in a car shot him in the leg. Steve Wetmore, owner of Sabino Cycles, was shocked when he found out.

"I'm sad that as a cyclist, I have to worry about instances like that now," Wetmore said. "There's just no place in the world for it."

The cyclist was unable to get a description of any of the suspects or the car and didn’t call 9-1-1.

He instead checked himself into the ER.

Deputies believe it was a pellet gun or something similar because the wound was not severe.

The area was checked by deputies, and they found blood drops, but no shell casings.

Wetmore says he considers Tucson to be one of the safer cities in the country for cyclists. Here and there, small problems happen. But in his 10 years of living and riding in Tucson, he's never heard of anything like this.

"Someone doing something to you on purpose, no, very rarely does it occur around here," he said. "I have not heard of cyclists being accosted by someone with a gun, pellet gun, or otherwise."

Deputies say if something like this happens to you, call 9-1-1 right away.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgover ... _164163281
Tracey McManus
Published: January 5, 2018
Updated: January 5, 2018 at 10:32 AM
CLEARWATER — The city’s violation letter used bold letters in all caps to describe The Path Bicycle and Ride Shop’s alleged offense.
"INSTALLED SPIRAL BICYCLE RACK ON SIDEWALK WITHOUT PROPER PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS," it declared.
The Path owner Gary Keener was dumbfounded when his landlord forwarded him the notice last week. Because he didn’t install the brand new bicycle rack on the sidewalk — The city did.
"I just thought it was pretty pathetic," said Keener, who has owned the Cleveland Street shop for six years. "We’re kind of an anchor retail business that actually brings people to the downtown area. We go way back with how dumb code enforcement is."
On Dec. 4 the city blocked off a parking space on the 600 block of Cleveland Street, painted the asphalt blue, placed a red bag over the meter, and installed two spiral bike racks in the space. It was the exact setup the city installed in front of Tony’s Pizza on the 400 block of Cleveland Street last year.
An anonymous tipster (apparently offended by bicycles) filed an online complaint with the city on Dec. 13, stating "these spiral racks are prohibited according to the City of Clearwater Code of Ordinances."
Inspector Sam Swinton checked it out and issued a violation on Dec. 19 to James Lampathakis, who owns the building that houses the bike shop.
Assistant Building Official Dana Root said Wednesday that the violation should never have been issued.
"It was a simple mistake," he said.
At the request of the city, Keener has since deleted a Facebook post he made last week mocking the mix-up. He said there are no hard feelings.
"I was kind of poking fun at how the ridiculous the city is and how they worry more about something really, really stupid compared to the homeless problem downtown or why it seems like the city of Clearwater doesn’t want businesses to succeed downtown with all of their signage rules and regulations."
Keener said several years ago he bought fancy, custom made A-frame chalkboard signs to advertise his specials and welcome customers. It turned out to be a code violation to place it on the curb where the public can see, so he gave up that effort.
But businesses are safe from false bike rack accusations for now. There are no more racks planned for downtown anytime soon, Assistant City Manager Micah Maxwell confirmed.

Sunday, January 07, 2018 11:00PM
LIVERMORE, Calif. --
A cyclist died when she crashed her bike Sunday morning in unincorporated Alameda County east of Livermore, California Highway Patrol officials said.
Sina Noori, 51, of Dublin, died when she crashed on South Flynn Road about a mile north of Patterson Pass Road, according to the Alameda County coroner's bureau and CHP Officer Tyler Hahn.
CHP officers were called at about 11:30 a.m. after Noori fell. It appears she came down a hill into a sharp corner and allowed the bike to go off the road, Hahn said.
She suffered injuries to her face and head. Hahn said no one witnessed the crash so CHP officials are not sure what happened exactly.